Spring-wheel.



H. B. COATS.

SPRING WHEEL.

APPLIOATIOH FILED NOV. 4. 1911.

1,040,512. Patented Oct. 8, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Witnesses Inventor Attorneys H. B. COATS.

SPRING WHEEL.

APPLIO IIIIIIIIIII 0v.4, 1911.

1,04@,512.' Patented Oct. 8, 1912.

.7 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HENRY B. COATS, 0F VEEDERSBUBG, INDIANA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

.ra tented Oct. 8, 11912.

Application filed November 4, 1911. I Serial No. 658,567.

To all who-m it may concern:

Be it known that [,I'IENRYB. Co.\'1's,aeiti- Zen of the United States, residing at Vcmlersburg, in the county of Fountain and State of Indiana, have invented a new and use ful Spring-Wheel, ol which the following is a specification.

The present invention aims to provide a resilient wheel which, at the option of the user, may be fashioned without pneumatic elements of any sort.

A further object of the invention is to provide a resilient wheel in which, when pneumatic elements are used, these elements will be securely housed within an inelosing structure, a puncture of the pneumatic elements being thereby avoided.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel means for resiliently connecting an axle-carried supporting member with an inclosing structure carrying the spokes and the folly of the wheel.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel means for preventing undue friction between the supporting member and the casing wherein the supporting memher is inclosed.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of invention heren disclosed can of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings,--Figure .1 shows the invention in :t'ragmcntal side elevation; Fig. 2 is a sectionpen the line A-B of Fig. 1.1 Fig. i) is a section upon the line (J--13 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a fragmental radial section, showing the means whereby be made within the scope the anti-friction clcn'ients are carried by the supporting member, for engagement with opposite sides of the casing in which the supporting member is inclosed and Fig. 5 is a fragmcntal sectional elevation showing :1. modified means whereby the supporting member may he resiliently connected with the inclosing easing.

Tn carrying out the invention there is providcd an int-losing casing, including a spoke late 1, from which the spokes 2 radiate, the spokes 2 carrying a rim 3, supporting the tire 1, which may be or any defred form.

Secured to, and preferably termed integrally with the spoke plate 1, and constituting a part of the casing 1, is an inner, side plate 5. The opposite side'ot the casing is closed by a removable side plate 6, held in place upon the spoke plate .1. by securing elements 8, of any desired t'orm, the outer side plate 6 being equipped with a projecting, axle-receiving cap 7 The invention further includes a brake drum 9, located adjacent, but upon the outside of, the inner side plate 5, the brake drum 9 having a tubular extension 10, adapted to receive and to be secured to, the axle 11, the axle l1 and the tubular extension 10 constituting what, for convenience, will be referred to hereinafter as the axle struc ture. This axle structure protrudes through openings 12 in'the side plates and t3, the openings 12 being of considerably greater diameters than the diameter of the extension 10, the construction being such that the easing, embracing the side plates 5 and 6, may have movement transvcrsely' of the axle structure.

Fixed to the tubular extension 10, is a supporting member 11, preferably taking the form of a plate, this supporting member having a series of spaced openings 15. Shafts 16 extend through the openings 15, the extremities of the shafts 16 being secured to the side plates .3 and 13, the diameter of the openings 15 being much greater than the diameters of the shafts 16. The shafts 11' carry, within the peripheries of the openings 15, wheels 17, the peripheries of which are inclosed by inflatable, pneumatic tires 18, these tires 18 being adapted to bear against the peripheries of the openings 15 in the supporting member 11.

M ans is promlcd for spacing the suporting member 11 autifrictionally from the side plate .3 and G of the casing. This means includes a series of ball cages, inserted trans\\-r.--cl v through the supporting member 1t. The hall cages. as will be dis- -crncd readily from an inspection of Fig. -1, comprise separable parts 19, threaded into the supporting member 14, the parts 19 being equipped with nuts 20, adapted to bear against the opposite faces of the supporting member 14. to maintain the parts of the hall cages in the supporting member. Rotatably mounted within the ball cages, are anti-friction balls 21, the ends of the parts 19 of the ball cages being contracted,

as shown at 22, to maintain the balls 21 in anti-frictional contact with each other, atljacent the median plane of the wheel. The balls 21 protrude beyond the contracted ends 22 of the ball cages, and engage with the side plates 5 and 6, as will be understood readily from an inspection of Fig. 4.

If desired, the invention may be modified to the extent indicated in Fig. 5. Referring to Fig. 5, the casing is shown as comprising a spoke plate 23, from which the spokes 24 radiate. The supporting member is denoted by the numeral 25, the same having the openings 26, hereinbefore referred to. Through these openings 26 project the shafts 27, the shafts 27 being connected with the side plates of the casing as hereinbefore described. Located within the openings 26 are a plurality of radially positioned, helical springs 28. Of these springs 28 there may be any number. The inner ends of the springs 28 are secured to the shafts 27, the outer ends of the springs being connected with eyes 29 or the like, projecting inwardly into the openings 26, and secured to the supporting member 25.

' Referring particularly to that form of the invention which is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, it will be understood that when rotation is imparted to the axle 11 and to the tubular end I 10 of the brake drum 9, this rotatory motion will be communicated to the supporting member 14 which is rigidly united with the tubular end 10 of the brake drum 9. When the supporting member 14 is rotated in the manner herembefore described, rotatory motion will be communicated to the casing,

comprising the members 1, 5 and 6, through the pneumatic tires 18, through the Wheels 17, and through the shafts 16 which are terminally connected with the side plates 5 and 6. Thus, aswill be understood readily, the wheel will be rotated, the construction being such that there will be no creeping of the casing circumferentially of the supporting member 14-. Owing to the fact that the inflatable pneumatic tires 18 are interposed between the peripheries of the wheels 17 and the peripheries of the openings 15 in the supporting member 14, the casing 156 will have movement transversely of the axle structure 1011, the openings 12 in the side plates 5 and 6 permitting this movement.

Iowever, owing to the fact that the balls 21 engage with each other adjacent the median plane of the wheel, and owing to the further fact that these balls engage anti-frictionally with the side plates 5 and 6, upon both sides of the supporting member 14, the wheel, considered as an entity, will have no appreciable lateral movement with respect to the axle ,11.

In that form of the invention which is shown in Fig. 5, the only change involved, is the substitution of the springs 28 for the wheels 17 and the tires 18. The wheel shown in Fig. 5, will operate in the same manner as the wheel shown in Figs. 1 and following.

In pneumatic wheels, as commonly constructed, wherein the periphery of the wheel without interfering seriously with the re-.

siliency of the wheel, and certainly, without rendering the wheel totally inoperative.

'In pneumatic wheels as commonly constructed, there is a continuous strain upon the tire wherewith the periphery of the wheel is surrounded. In the present invention, the tires 18, upon the one hand, or the groups of springs 28, upon the other hand, are alternately submitted strain, which strain is relieved at regular intervals. The resilient elements, in the device constituting the subject matter of this application are, therefore, under maximum strain at spaced intervals, the life of the resilient elements being thereby greatly prolonged.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a device of the class described, an

axle structure; a supporting member secured to the axle structure and provided with openings; a casing inclosing the supporting member and adapted to have movement transversely of the axle; shafts, terminally connected with the casing and extended through the openings; resilient means inter- I posed between the shafts and the peripher of the openings; separable ball cages exten ed through the supporting member; means for retaining the ball cages in the support ing member; and balls held in the ball cages, the balls being adapted to bear against the casing upon both sides of the supporting member, and to bear against each other adjacent the median plane of the device.

2. In a device of the classdescribed, an axle structure; a supporting member secured to the axle structure and provided with openin s; a casinginclosing the supporting mem er and adapted to have move? ment transversely of the axle; shafts terminally connected with the casing and extended through the openings; wheels upon the shafts; pneumatic tires carried by the peripheries of the wheels against the peripheries of the openings; septo a maximum and adapted to bear arable ball cages extended through the su porting member; means for maintaining t e ball cages in the supporting member; and balls held in the ball cages the balls being Mlapted to bear against the casing upon both sides of the su porting member, and to bear a ainst each 0t ier adjacent the median plane b the device.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my slgnature 10 in the presence of two wltnesses.

v HENRY B. COATS.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM I. 130009,

CHARLES H. ALLEN. 

